If 2010 is your year to get married, meaning that you have officially been proposed to already, then congratulations. But now the clock is ticking until the date of your wedding which means there isn’t a moment to spare. If you are having a Catholic ceremony, you really don’t have time; the music planning alone is confusing enough. So here is a little help.

First and foremost, you will need a little prelude music. Usually couples choose to have classical music played at this time. If you are going to us a CD player, then you can simply buy a classical CD of wedding music. If you are hiring live musicians, then you can just let them know that you would like classical and traditional wedding music played. Common songs include: “Canon in D”, “Air on G String” and “Trumpet Voluntary”.

The following is probably the most important song for the bride: the song she will march to. This song is supposed to be a religious song, but some priests are more lenient and will allow a non-religious, non-classical song to be performed. Check with the priest first, however, before you make any decisions. It is popular to choose “Here Comes the Bride” as a marching in song, however, the original context of this song is really inappropriate so another song should really be chosen.

Next you will need a brief song for the lighting of the unity candle. A common and popular choice is the song “Flesh of My Flesh” or “In This Very Room”. Both are beautiful numbers and fit appropriately into this context. If you are not having a full mass, then the only other song you need to worry about is the song you will walk out to. “The Wedding March” of course is appropriate and used in nearly every wedding. If however, you are having a full mass, then you will want to consider reading on.

The preparation and bringing of the gifts to the altar is the next point at which a song selection will need to be made. There are a number of beautiful songs that can be selected including “The Prayer” by Celine Dion, or “From This Moment’ by Shania Twain. Just make sure you clear any song with your priest first.

The Communion hymn follows and can be chosen from out of your church’s hymn book. Popular song choice at this point in the mass include “Taste and See”, “One Bread, One Body”, “Gift of Finest Wheat” and others.

Meditation is the time that comes after Communion. You can opt to have a song at this point, but it is not necessary; only if there is an added song that you absolutely must have played at the wedding. Otherwise, the song can be skipped.

As mentioned above you can opt to end with “The Wedding March”. Planning music for you Catholic wedding can be simple and easy. The most important thing is that you understand what your priest will or will not allow and make adjustments as necessary. Most importantly though, plan early!

Sheila Dollarsby has attended and helped to plan a number of weddings, both Catholic and non-Catholic. She has not only helped with song selections, but flower selections as well and always uses 1800 Flowers to help. Thanks to 1800 Flowers, Sheila is able to deliver more to her brides than ever before!